Prior art wrist-watch protection devices are primarily made up of special wristbands that are adapted to be attached to a watch face once the watch face has been removed from its original watchband. The wristband include a pair of attachment points for attaching the watch face to the wristband; and the wristband further includes a protective cover portion that fits over and protects the face of the wrist-watch.
One example of this construction is shown in Hallman et al., U.S. Pat. No. 4,103,808. Hallman teaches a watchband that includes a pair of loops that enable the user to attach a watch face to the watchband using the pins of the watch face. The watchband further includes a protective flap which can be affixed over the watch face using Velcro® or the like.
Another example of this construction is shown in Chisolm, U.S. Pat. No. 6,199,730, which teaches a wristband having a first band sized for encircling a wearer's wrist, and a protective cover for securing over the watch to protect it from exposure or damage. The first band includes a ribbon that is adapted to engage the watch face and hold it on the wristband.
The disadvantage of this approach is that it is necessary to remove the watch face from its original watchband, and then re-attach the watch to the new protective watchband. Not only is this cumbersome, it is also undesirable to so mistreat the watch, especially if the watch is a particularly expensive watch.
Fletcher, U.S. Pat. No. 5,332,135, teaches another approach, in which an ordinary watch can be worn in conjunction with the protective apparatus. In this embodiment, the watch is worn on the user's wrist as usual, and the protective apparatus is worn over the watch. A portion of the protective apparatus is adapted to fit under the watch face, and a Velcro® strip fastens the portion to the remainder of the apparatus. The flexible material of the protective apparatus is used for shielding the attaching band of the instrument from the surrounding environment.
The prior art does not teach a wrist-watch protector that allows the user to wear a watch normally, using the watch's original watch band, and also includes the various advantages described below.